Never Say Never
by Anne Phoenix
Summary: Alex should have been safe. After all, he was just taking part in a training exercise … right? Right, but in Alex's world, adventure and mystery are never far away.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Never Say Never  
Author: Anne Phoenix  
Rating: R

Summary: Alex should have been safe. After all, he was just taking part in a training exercise … right? Right, but in Alex's world, adventure and mystery are never far away.

Warnings: Violence, character death

Disclaimer: Alex Rider fanfictions are based on characters and situations created and owned by Anthony Horowitz, various publishers including but not limited to Walker Books, Puffin Books, Entertainment Film Distributors (UK), and MGM/The Weinstein Company (USA). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. All non-original characters and locations are used in a non-commercial, transformative manner and fall squarely within the Fair Use exception to the exclusive rights of the copyright owner.

Author's notes: Many thanks to hpstrangelove for beta reading!

**NEVER SAY NEVER **

**Chapter 1**

"Once," Alan Blunt had said to Alex before the Stormbreaker mission. "Just this once …"

It turned out that what Alan Blunt had really meant was_ "once a month"_ or _"once a week"_ or _"anytime we want you." _

And as if that wasn't enough, Blunt had now decided that Alex was to rejoin the soldiers currently undergoing SAS selection. Since Alex had _sort of_ completed his endurance training in those two weeks in Wales before the Stormbreaker mission, and had since then survived several dangerous missions for Queen and Country, Blunt reckoned that Alex should be at the same ability level as those soldiers that had just completed their jungle training. Which was very convenient, because it meant Alex could now team up with his old squadron for the final phase of SAS selection. This final phase, also known as phase three, was reputed to be the most gruelling and feared part of training. It focussed on escape and evasion techniques as well as resistance to tactical questioning.

And that's why Alex was here, drawing deep breaths as he mentally prepared himself to enter the cabin. He was not looking forward to this. Gripping his backpack tightly, Alex pushed open the door.

_"Oh for fuck's sake,"_ were the first words he heard, uttered by a familiar, bitter voice.

"Hi," Alex replied weakly. "I'm … back."

The soldiers of K Unit stared at Alex with disbelief. They seemed to have doubled in size since Alex had last seen them, bulked out by months of continuous and intensive training.

Wolf glared at Alex, his dislike clear in his dark gaze. Next to him stood Snake, the bulkiest soldier of the squadron. Snake looked more interested than hostile. Eagle, too, seemed more interested than angry. He was a wiry man, and Alex remembered him to be very strong and athletic.

Next to the three familiar men stood a new soldier, a well-built blond man with piercing blue eyes. "What's this all about?" the new soldier demanded. He looked very confused.

Wolf scowled and spat, "Spider, meet the fifth member of our unit, Cub. Cub meet Spider."

The blond man did not look any less confused. "What? Who's ever heard of an SAS unit with five men?"

"Who's ever heard of an SAS unit with a kid?" Wolf replied, giving Alex yet another accusatory gaze.

Alex shrugged as though Wolf's words meant nothing to him, but his heart was thumping wildly against his chest. He was about to take part in the most demanding part of the SAS selection process, and he did not want to have enemies within his own squadron.

"Where's Fox?" he asked simply, hoping to change the track of the conversation. Inside, he felt a bit gutted by the absence of Fox also known as Ben Daniels. He had come to consider Ben as a friend during his Snakehead mission, and had hoped that MI6 would somehow have found a way to put their man back inside K Unit for the duration of Alex's training.

Wolf's scowl intensified. "He got binned, didn't he? Returned to unit and gone back into regular service."

Alex couldn't help but smile at Wolf's words.

"You laughing at Fox getting binned?"

"No! No … I just. I thought … Never mind."

Alex couldn't tell Wolf what he knew; that Fox had been pulled from the SAS to work for MI6. That was classified knowledge.

"How long you here for?" Snake wanted to know, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. He clearly wanted to know what the teenager was doing back in the SAS training facility.

"For the whole of phase three."

Wolf, if it was at all possible, looked even angrier. He turned away and stomped to the end of the cabin. Snake and Eagle looked shocked and Spider looked dubious. "Are you sure, boy? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

"Yeah, I know. I … uh, I've been briefed."

"This won't be anything like those two weeks of phase one you did with us," Snake continued. He sounded uneasy. "That time will look like a walk in the park compared to what's coming. Since then, we've not only completed the final stages of the endurance training, but we've had months of combat and survival training in the jungle in Belize."

_"I know,"_ Alex repeated. "But I've also had some extra training since then, okay? And it's not like it's my decision to be here. _They_ want me here and that's that."

"Who are they?" Snake asked. "Military?"

Alex smiled wryly at Snake's feigned disinterest. "You know I can't tell you that."

"Cut the act, Cub," Wolf snapped angrily from the back of the cabin. "Nothing is classified here. They will make you talk, and then you'll run crying back to your mummy."

Alex felt himself tense, but he did not rise to the taunt. He had no illusions that phase three training would be absolutely horrible, but he knew that his extended training with Scorpia had more than adequately prepared him for it. The SAS were the best of the best, of that Alex had no doubt; however, these soldiers here were not yet fully winged SAS troops. In fact, it was highly probable that not all of them would even make it through the final phase of selection. As such, Alex had nothing to prove to them. Alan Blunt had sent him here to learn his limits and if that included resistance to mockery then so be it.

Ignoring Wolf, Alex threw his backpack down on a bunk and pulled out his kit. He had been given a rifle this time, and Alex enjoyed the weight of it in his grasp. He enjoyed the angry exclamations of the other soldiers even more …

**XX*OO*XX*OO**

K Unit had only just returned from the jungles of Belize, where they had been subjected to intensive combat and survival training. It was a testament to the strength of their teamwork that all four soldiers had made it through the second phase. Normally an SAS squadron would go straight from combat and survival training to escape and evasion training; however, because of Alex's special circumstances, K Unit was given a week to figure out how to integrate Alex into their manoeuvres.

During this week, they primarily practised their four-man patrol. Or, as Wolf called it, their four-man plus one-boy patrol. Wolf, the survival and combat officer, was generally teamed with Snake, the medic. Eagle, the communications officer, worked with Spider who turned out to be a skilled orientations officer. And surprise of surprises, Alex was left to look out for himself. It suited him fine. Alex preferred to work alone.

Although the soldiers of K Unit were at the peak of their fitness, they were also exhausted from their jungle training. Alex knew they had been living off rations and surviving terrible conditions of heat, moisture and creepy crawlies. So while crossing the Brecon Beacons would not normally be a challenging task for the soldiers, their physical and mental fatigue would act as a handicap.

For Alex the training week was an interesting experience of teamwork. Despite being pointedly left out of squadron manoeuvres, Alex nevertheless observed how the other soldiers operated and co-operated. There was something fascinating about the level of trust they held in each other. They behaved like brothers rather than colleagues, and Alex was struck by the observation that any of these men would die for the others. It was very different from his personal experiences on the island of Malagosto, where Alex had always felt that the students would happily throw each other to the lions if it would benefit them personally in any way.

Perhaps, Alex mused, that was the true difference between the good guys and the bad guys: the good guys believed in what they were doing and they believed in each other, whereas the bad guys just did it for money.

During that first week, it was easy for Alex to stay out of the other soldiers' way. Wolf's hostility toward him, however, remained undiminished. Their brief encounter at Point Blanc was never mentioned, nor was the fact that Alex had saved Wolf from being binned during the first phase of training. In fact, Wolf appeared to resent Alex's very existence. Eagle and Spider seemed to follow Wolf's lead in their opinion of Alex. Snake was a bit kinder, or at least he was less hostile, but he was clearly very close to Wolf and thus did not make any moves to interact with Alex.

So Alex spent most of the week silently following hushed orders such as "_Stay down!"_ or _"Hurry up!"_ which he obeyed without question. He learnt the visual communication methods used by the squadron to coordinate patrol and evasive movements, he learnt never to leave his rifle out of arm's reach and he learnt to do as he was told by his older colleagues. For once, Alex felt as young as his years and trailed behind his squadron like a toddler following the older children around the playground.

All too soon the training week came to an end.

The general atmosphere in K Unit grew darker and more stressed. Alex knew that the soldiers were tense at the thought of phase three training starting in earnest. Tomorrow, K Unit would be parachuted into unfamiliar territory, where they would have three days to cross over one hundred miles of rugged terrain. Compared to endurance and survival training, this would have been an easy exercise if not for the hunter unit hunting them down. The hunter unit was a Special Forces squadron that had just returned from active combat duty in Afghanistan – they were the real deal: highly trained soldiers, experienced with tracking and capturing people who did not want to be found.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

An illustrated version of this story is posted at the AR Archive (see link on my profile!). New chapters are always posted there a few days before they come here!


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all your encouraging reviews – they are very motivating. Hopefully I can serve up something that's a little bit different from the other fic out there …**

**Thanks also to the reader who pointed out my small canon timeline mixup. This has now been corrected!**

**Chapter 2**

"You ever jumped before?" the flight coordinator asked with a dubious expression as his eyes seemed to move up and down over Alex.

Alex nodded and made to climb into the small plane, but the flight coordinator hadn't finished. "Weren't you here last year? That's right … Don't get many children around here. You didn't jump then, did you?"

"Nah, his parents wouldn't sign his authorisation form," Wolf scoffed, striding past Alex with a sneer.

Alex froze for a split second then glared up at Wolf. "At least _I_ wasn't too chicken to jump."

He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth, but it was too late. Wolf's face darkened and he climbed into the plane without another word. Alex could have kicked himself for ruining whatever tentative alliance he had managed to build up over the last week. The upcoming days would require collaboration and trust, but more than ever Alex felt terribly alone.

"Get a move on, Cub," Snake called, and Alex realised he was rooted to the spot and staring into the distance.

Sighing inwardly he climbed in. Wolf and Spider sat nearest to the jumping hatch and were already double-checking their parachutes. The backpacks were piled up beside Wolf so that the only available seat was between Eagle and Snake.

"You've done well, this week," Snake praised quietly, and Alex wondered if his loneliness and frustration were so obvious that the soldier had started feeling pity for him.

Alex shrugged. "It was just a matter of keeping up," he answered.

Snake nodded. "Then you kept up well, Cub. Things are going to get tough from now on. You'll have to use all the skills you picked up this week, as well as any _other_ skills you might have."

Ah, so Snake was questioning him. Alex rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."

"You're not a bit scared?"

"Terrified," Alex admitted but left it at that. It wasn't the exercise or the hunters that Alex was apprehensive about; it was surviving three days in the wilderness with K Unit. There would be no cabin to return to in the evenings, no decent food, no warm blankets; nothing but endless expanses of unknown terrain, unpredictable weather and at least one man who hated him and three others who couldn't care less. The thought made his gut churn with dread.

Luckily Alex didn't have long to worry about it, for they reached the jump-off point less than fifteen minutes later. K

Unit would have only a one-hour head start before the hunter unit was released, so there was no time to waste.

_"Go, go, go!"_ Wolf yelled as he coordinated the jump-off.

Spider went first, closely followed by Snake and Eagle. Then Alex. He held his breath for a split second, watching the cragged ledge of Pen y Fan zoom by below, and then he jumped. The whoosh of cold air against his face was exhilarating. They weren't very high above the summit, and so Alex could enjoy the free fall for only a few moments before he had to pull his chute. It felt like he was brought to a halt in mid-air; he hung motionless for a few seconds as he watched the plane disappear into a cloud.

The other members of K Unit were not far. Spider had already touched down and was rolling his parachute back into its bag. Alex angled his body to ensure he would land as close as possible to the other soldiers.

Only minutes later, K Unit was reunited and the parachutes were hidden and camouflaged in the fern. The chutes would not be needed during this exercise. With Spider in the lead, the soldiers of K Unit started making their way westward, toward Corn Du, automatically falling into four-man plus one-boy formation. The escape and evasion exercise had now officially started.

Their first goal was to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the drop-off point. For one hour, there would be no pursuit, so Spider led the squadron across the exposed summit – Alex knew they were hoping to reach Corn Du in time to take a shortcut across the open ledge before beginning the descent into the valley. Alex had arrived too late at the Brecon Beacon training base to take part in the Fan Dance, but he'd heard all about the difficulties of navigating the Pen y Fan summit from other soldiers. He knew K Unit would do well to reach the relative safety of the descent before the hunters arrived.

It was cold, but not freezing, and Alex's combat outfit kept him warm enough.

The clouds were fairly high above the mountain range, giving a clear view of the terrain, but Alex knew that by the end of the day the cloud level would start to fall and would eventually engulf K Unit and its surroundings. In the distance he could see the summit of Fan Gyhirych, which was the final destination of their task – it looked so far away that Alex almost wanted to give up there and then.

But giving up wasn't an option.

_Never had been._

Alex scanned the sky for any sight of the plane returning and then hurried to keep up with the other soldiers.

They walked for three hours without slowing, without stopping. The ground was fairly dry and the going was easy. The dry ground also made anti-tracking strategies easier, as there was less risk of leaving a trace of their passage. So far, Spider had stuck to the most direct path down from the summits, but Alex knew that they would soon have to leave the dry pathways and find their own route through the fenland. It was strangely exhilarating to be hunted by someone who had only paint bullets and didn't truly want to kill him. Knowing that he wasn't in any real danger enabled Alex to think with a clear mind and actually take stock of his knowledge. He passed the time thinking about how he would coordinate the squadron to evade the hunters if he were in charge. So far Alex's own ideas were consistent with Spider's decisions, and for some reason that made him feel quite proud. Maybe he was learning something from this experience, after all.

Just as Alex imagined leading the squadron into the fenland, Spider abruptly stopped.

"Right. I reckon we've made good time so far, but the visibility is too bloody good out here today. There's a copse of trees down by that ridge. We should head down there and then we can check out the map to decide on a strategy for the next three days. What do you think?"

Wolf nodded his agreement and the other soldiers were about to follow suit when Alex said: "Won't that be a bit obvious though?"

"What do you mean?"

"That's the only proper undergrowth for miles. You can see for miles down this path here, so when the hunters reach this point and they can't see us, won't they know we've headed into the trees?"

Eagle shifted uncomfortably. "Cub's got a point, but I'm not sure we have any other options. Anyway, if the hunters follow us down into the copse they won't know which way we've gone from there."

"It might be harder to hide our tracks though, as the ground will be softer under the trees," Snake interjected. "I think it might be better if we stayed on dry ground for as long as possible. Remember in Belize how easy tracking became any time we were hunting on boggy ground?"

Spider gave Alex a long, interested look, before around at the rest of his colleagues. "You're right that the most direct route is not always the best route, but normally we would be moving under the cover of darkness. We're very exposed out here."

"Then let's stay on the dry path for another mile or so, and then head up that hill away from the woods. We can set up camp under the fern and wait for nightfall," Alex suggested.

Wolf snorted. "That's great, Cub. Yeah, let the hunters get ahead of us so all they need to do is sit and wait for us to walk into their open arms. Real clever."

Snake seemed less disparaging, however. "I wonder if Cub's plan has some merit. If we let the hunters get ahead, they'll be looking for tracks that don't exist. Yes, we'll all be heading in the same general direction, but after a day or so they're bound to realise we're not in the same area. At that point, they'll have to spread out to find our tracks, which will make them more vulnerable and less efficient. What do you think, Spider?"

Spider was nodding with more and more confidence as Snake spoke. "Yes, it's a good plan for starters. Let's move, guys. We can work out the fine details when we set up camp."

Wolf shook his head in disgust, and once again Alex could not understand the anger of the other man. He let himself fall behind as K Unit restarted the trek down the dry path. When he was sure no one was looking, Alex stomped a heavy boot into the ground leading down toward the copse. It was a childish diversion tactic, but it made Alex smile inside to think of fully trained SAS troops falling for the trick.

They marched on for about another half mile before they decided the risk of the hunters appearing on the ledge behind them was now too high. Taking a running start, each soldier jumped into the fern, trying to disturb the leafy plants as little as possible – the jump meant that no footprints would be visible in the vicinity of the path.

Feeling a little safer in the camouflage of the waist high fern, they proceeded for another half mile across the hillside before dropping down under the fern and continuing at a crawl. The ground under the fern was damp and gritty, and Alex was grateful that his thick combat trousers protected his legs. They crawled like this for what felt like miles but could only have been a few hundred feet.

Finally, Spider called the squadron to a halt. "Let's settle here until it starts to get dark," he said, throwing his backpack onto the floor. The others followed suit and Alex helped Snake unroll waterproof mesh for them all to sit on.

"Right. We're about four hours into the task and we've covered approximately ten miles. That leaves about ninety miles of terrain."

Alex sighed at the thought – if only they had wings, the destination point would be a mere thirty miles away in a beeline.

"We'll aim to do thirty-five miles tonight and set up camp again toward mid-morning. Tomorrow we do another thirty-five, leaving only about twenty miles for the last twenty-four hours."

Alex stopped listening as Spider started talking about guard duty. He knew from the previous week that the soldiers did not trust him enough to include him in their guard rota. At least that way he got more sleep, he thought sardonically as he pulled out his thermal sleeping bag. He wasn't tired, but he had learnt to force himself to sleep when it was possible and the thought of the long night ahead was enough to make anyone close their eyes for a kip …

When Alex awoke, it was to dimming light. The camp was completely silent, but as soon as Alex opened his eyes he saw Spider sitting upright and vigilant. The rest of K Unit appeared to be fast asleep. Alex sat up, careful not to disturb the top leaves of the fern. He rummaged through his rucksack and pulled out his rations before crawling over to sit next to Spider.

"All quiet?" Alex asked, opening his box and taking out one cracker and offering the other to Spider.

Spider seemed to look through Alex for a moment before accepting the cracker. "Eagle overheard a hunter signal earlier on – a birdcall from a species that doesn't live around here. That was about three hours ago, so I would hope they're well ahead by now. We leave in an hour."

"Did you guys manage to work out a route for us?"

Spider nodded and pulled out a weatherproof map. "If the weather holds, we're taking a shortcut up this ridge here." Spider pointed at a greyish area on the map, then stopped and looked back at Alex. "It's a pretty sheer ridge. Do you have any climbing experience? We sort of forgot about you when we were drawing out the route."

Alex snorted. "Yeah, I can climb. Don't you worry about me. I'm just tagging along for the ride."

He could tell Spider was considering asking something, but the man only said, "You know an awful lot for a child."

Alex said nothing. He chewed his cracker as quietly as possible. Spider was right, Alex knew too much. He had seen too much, done too much.

They sat in silence, and Alex wondered how it must feel to always know your team wasn't far behind, ready to fight in your corner. He couldn't imagine ever regaining that level of trust in another person. He had been betrayed too many times.

His gut twisted at the thought and he clamped down before the emotion could surface. "How many people make it through all three phases?" Alex asked, more to distract himself than because he actually cared.

"About ten percent," Spider immediately answered. "Fox was returned to unit at the end of phase one. Wolf told me you'd already left by then."

Ah, so they'd been talking about him. "Yeah, I came in a bit late and left a bit early."

"But now you're back."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "Cub is back."

**To Be Continued …**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

They made good time that night. Despite the drop in temperature, the night was not as bitterly cold as it could have been for the time of year. Spider was an excellent navigator and his sense of orientation left Alex in awe. The soldier seemed to have committed the two-dimensional map to memory and then converted it into a representation of the actual terrain they were crossing. It was impressive, and Alex gathered that Spider's ability was one of the main reasons all four members of K Unit had made it through the jungle phase.

They moved forwards in a standard four-man and one-boy formation, using night goggles to pick out the path ahead. Several times through the night, an unlit helicopter passed overhead, loud but almost imperceptible in the night sky. Eagle explained that it was most likely the SAS command base using heat sensors to follow the progress of both K Unit and their hunters.

"So how would we hide from the helicopter if we really had to?" Alex wanted to know.

"We couldn't. If real bad guys were this close to us, we'd have to fight our way out."

And there lay the challenge in remaining invisible in a three-dimensional world. Not just out of immediate sight, but leaving no trace of their passage; no clues to their destination.

Alex understood for the first time what people meant when they said the SAS were like ghosts – no one saw them arrive, no one knew they were there, and no one saw them leave.

It was so different from Alex's experience of being thrown into the middle of a situation with only a shaky, hastily put together cover to protect himself, and then having to fight his way out in a hail of gunfire.

Through the night they had stopped for a break only twice, and by the time the darkness started to dissipate, all five men looked ready to put up their feet. A makeshift camp was set up, its location chosen both to provide natural cover for the soldiers and visibility of their surroundings. So far, the weather was still holding, but dawn brought with it a deep red sky and Alex feared that the morning mist might settle.

It was only when he finally sat down that Alex felt the ache of the physical exercise crawling through his muscles. And suddenly his feet hurt from his boots, his legs hurt from walking and crawling, his shoulders hurt from carrying the backpack …

More worryingly, his chest burnt as though a fire had been lit inside, and it concerned Alex that the pain was concentrated near his heart where the bullet had cut through his body.

With a heavy sigh, Alex pulled off his boots and climbed into his thermal sleeping bag to warm his feet. As soon as he hit the ground, Alex yawned so hard that he thought he'd cracked his jaw.

"You okay, Cub?" Snake suddenly asked, making Alex jump. He hadn't even realised the other soldier was so close.

Alex tried to say yes, but it came out as another yawn, so he just nodded instead. "Just need to eat … sleep," he mumbled.

"Any blisters?" Snake wanted to know.

Luckily, Alex had none, and the medic moved on to check on his other colleagues.

Again, that feeling of loneliness swept over Alex's senses. Of course he knew that Snake was primarily concerned with the success of the exercise, but it was nice to see him fussing over Eagle's blistered heel with such genuine fondness.

Alex dozed in and out of consciousness as the guard rota for the day was being established. Then he had to pinch himself to stay awake as Snake and Wolf set about preparing something to eat. Using a single-use briquette, they heated up the beans and corn beef from the ration packs. A warm meal was welcome, and once Alex had eaten his share, he curled up in his sleeping bag. Alex intended to listen to the other soldiers' conversation for a while, but sleep claimed him almost as soon as he put down his head.

He awoke to broad daylight – a strong ray of sunlight tickled his eyelids and for a moment Alex thought he was at home with the morning sun tapping at the window to get him out of bed and to school. He shifted and his muscles screamed in protest, roughly reminding him of the reality. Alex checked his watch and realised he had been asleep for almost seven hours. It was mid afternoon and the sun was at its highest point.

Alex enjoyed the slight heat of the sun for a moment before his rumbling stomach got the better of him. Purposefully stretching his aching muscles as he moved, Alex sat up to find his rations.

Immediately, a crack of gunfire cut through the air.

Alex threw himself back down to the floor, heart thumping madly. He looked up to see Wolf crawling stealthily toward him, carefully staying under the cover of the low fern.

"Stay down," Wolf instructed, as if Alex was stupid enough to sit up again.

The other soldiers were silently rolling up sleeping bags and stuffing them into their backpacks. Alex followed suit _– they needed to move quickly. _

"How did they find us?" Alex wanted to know, but Wolf put a finger to his lips to tell Alex to be quiet. Another shot was fired overhead, but it was impossible to tell which direction it had come from. It was unnerving, knowing that the hunters were so close yet having no idea of their exact location.

"They might be trying to drive us into a trap," Eagle said, patting the pocket where he kept his extra paint ammunition. "They clearly can't know exactly where we are, or they'd have come down for us already."

"They know enough," Spider said darkly. "Eagle, Snake – you lead the way. Cub, follow them. Wolf and I will close the ranks and cover your back."

It was the first time Alex had been placed in any position other than tagalong. It was good to know that K Unit weren't going to just leave him behind now that the going was about to get tough.

"Do you think command base told them where we were?" Alex asked, remembering the helicopter that had passed overhead during the night.

"Don't be stupid," Wolf snapped.

With those words, they set off, crawling through the dewy fenland while remaining beneath the fern coverage. They crawled until Alex thought his knees might explode and his back break in half from the strain. No other gunshots were fired and there was no sign of their followers, but K Unit knew the hunters could not be far behind.

When they finally stopped for a breather, Spider pulled out the map. "Right, we're very close to this river here. Initially, we were aiming to cross further downstream where the water is very shallow, but we might have to try for a harder crossing point now that they're actively tracking us. Let's get a move on!"

And off they went again, still crawling rather than moving upright, in order to take full advantage of the natural cover. If Alex had thought his muscles were stiff the previous night, he now felt that he was close to giving up, and by the looks of it, the other soldiers were feeling similarly strained by this evasive manoeuvre.

Spider hadn't been kidding when he said the crossing was "hard" – the riverbank was steep and the water seemed to be moving in chaotic patterns, indicating underlying currents.

"Shit," summed it up nicely.

But there was no time to feel sorry for themselves.

"Wolf, you're the most powerful swimmer. If you can get across and tie a cable to that tree, the rest of us can use that for support. I don't think Cub has the physical strength to swim through that."

Wolf glared at Alex as though everything was his fault, but wasted no time in climbing into the water.

The river was rough, but Wolf was indeed a very powerful swimmer and Alex watched him battle the currents for what seemed like hours before emerging victorious on the other side. The cable was secured and Spider went first, climbing into the water carefully and then using the cable to drag himself through the raging river.

Alex was next. He hadn't expected the force of the water to be quite so strong and it was a difficult battle to keep hold of the cable when the currents were working so hard to drag him away.

Spider had been right about one thing – there was no way Alex would have made it through the river without assistance. It took him at least twice as long as it had taken Spider, but finally Alex touched the safety of the opposite bank. He felt groggy as he dragged himself to the cover of the tree, almost expecting his legs to give way in weakness from the thrashing they had just received.

Snake fared a bit better and used his sheer bulk to work his way through the water. Even so, he was panting heavily when he reached them, his face red and his chest heaving erratically. "Bloody hell," he managed to pant as he started wringing the water out of his trousers. "Bloody fucking hell."

Alex watched as the last member of K Unit entered the water. Eagle secured a firm grip on the cable and had just started pulling himself across when shouts unexpectedly echoed across the fenland. The hunters were suddenly in sight, no longer moving with stealth, but running at high speed, crashing through the ferns and approaching fast!

"Shit, shit, shit!" Wolf swore loudly, aiming his rifle across the bank ready to fight. "Come on, Eagle!"

The other soldier sped up, dragging himself to about a fifth of the way across the river before pausing. It was clear that Eagle was not going to beat the hunters to it. Pulling a knife from the sheath at his belt, Eagle started sawing the cable in front of him.

The three hunters were closing in rapidly, which left a niggling doubt in Alex's mind.

"Where's the fourth guy?"

No one heard Alex's question. The hunter has started shooting as they ran, their paint bullets aimed high into the sky above K Unit. _"Stop!"_ a voice could be heard over the crashing river.

"Not bloody likely," Wolf growled. Seeing that Eagle had almost severed the cable, he faced the others. "Eagle's got no chance. We need to get out of here fast or we'll all get binned."

They nodded their agreement and without turning back to the shouting hunters, K Unit broke into a run heading away from the river, away from the hunters and their gunfire.

The run jarred Alex's aching knees, but he pushed on breathlessly, knowing it was vital to put as much distance between the squadron and the hunters. He felt sorry for Eagle, but at least this wasn't for real. Eagle may have failed SAS selection, but his life wasn't in any real danger.

After about fifteen relentless minutes, the pressure in Alex's chest grew steadily more and more painful. He forced himself to continue, his breaths coming too sharp and rapid. He knew he wasn't getting enough oxygen to feed his starving muscles, but by now the hunters would have worked out a way to cross the river and would be hot on their trail and—

Black spots danced in the corners of Alex's vision. He gritted his teeth and tried to draw in a deep breath, but a stabbing pain flared up in his lungs and before he even knew what was happening, he saw the ground coming up to hit him in the head. He felt his body impact the flinty track and then everything went black.

**To Be Continued …**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for your great reviews & helpful comments! I hope the story continues to stay interesting and original. I will also try to continue posting chapters at roughly 36 hour intervals – keep up your encouragement! **

**Chapter 4**

_"Cub! Cub?" _

Alex groaned and tasted blood in his mouth. He felt wet, clammy and cold. He opened his eyes and the world looked fuzzy. His head felt like it was about to split in half …

Snake was crouching next to him, holding his wrist and looking concerned.

_"Wha … What happened?"_ Alex murmured, surprised at how weak his voice came out.

"You _collapsed_," Wolf's voice sneered from somewhere out of sight.

"I … " Alex tried to sit up, but pain in his chest drove him back down. _"Ow."_

"Your pulse is racing. I think the run was too much for you."

Alex heard Wolf snort with disgust. He tried to sit up again, this time concentrating all his strength on ignoring the sharp stab of pain in his chest. "No! It's not exhaustion. It's my … surgery. I had my appendix taken out not long ago. Sometimes it hurts when I push myself too hard."

Snake looked dubious, but accepted Alex's explanation. "Here's some water and painkillers. We need to get you up and moving, Cub. The hunters won't be too far behind."

Alex groaned, but he accepted the pills and swallowed them in a single gulp.

"Just leave me. You're not going to risk your career for me," he muttered.

Wolf stepped into view nodding. "Damn right we're not risking our careers for you," he agreed, "so stop being a baby and get the hell up."

Alex held Wolf's gaze for an instant before turning away. The man's dark eyes blazed with their usual dislike, now tinged with disgust. Alex couldn't take it any more. "What have I ever done to you?" he snapped, looking down at the empty glass in his hand.

Wolf snorted. "What have you ever done, full stop? Nothing but get in our way. The military is no place for kids. _It's not a fucking game!_"

Alex sighed. He had always known that Wolf resented him, but some childish part of him had hoped there might be an element of jealousy in Wolf's feelings. Now, he realised that Wolf disliked him simply for who he was, some kind of a mockery of Wolf's own career and achievements …

"Just go," Alex insisted. "If _I_ fail, they'll just tell me off for not trying hard enough, whereas you would risk being returned to ordinary service."

Wolf glowered. "Don't be stupid. I doubt Special Ops would want to employ us if we left you behind. Get the fuck up!"

Supported by Snake, Alex managed to do as Wolf ordered. He swayed on his legs for a moment, but then the world finally came back into focus and his mind cleared. Standing up, his chest felt less constricted, and Alex could feel his heart rate steadying up. He managed to take several deep breaths. "I'm okay. Let's move."

They progressed at a much slower pace, using the shade of the trees both to stay out of the direct sunlight and to minimise the risk of being seen. Luckily it seemed that the hunters were not too hot on their heels.

After about an hour, they heard a helicopter pass overhead, heading toward the river they had left behind.

"That'll be command base picking up Eagle, poor sod."

Alex felt dreadful. He imagined how gutted Eagle must feel, knowing that the only reason he had failed SAS selection was because Alex had been too weak and too slow on the cable. Another career ruined.

By early evening, every member of K Unit was exhausted, but they had covered good ground since their rude awakening in the fern. Their original plan of action was now redundant, but at least they were still heading in the right direction.

"We're only about an hour from the ridge," Spider explained, pointing towards a rocky ledge in the distance. "I suggest we take a break now for a few hours, and then we can tackle the climb under the last light."

Wolf looked sceptical. "I'm not sure we should break here. If night falls while we're on that rock face, we've had it."

"We don't really have a choice, Wolf. It's the only route the hunters won't be expecting us to take."

"Yeah, 'cause you'd have to be insane to tackle that thing without gear or light!" Snake joked, squinting at the ridge in the distance.

"How sheer is the climb?" Wolf asked, and suddenly Alex realised that Wolf's face was drawn in that same expression of defensive anxiety that he had seen in the plane for the parachute jump during phase one. Wolf was scared.

Spider clearly noticed Wolf's fear as well, for he shrugged reassuringly. "It's not that bad a climb. It'll take us about forty-five minutes, tops. We'll be clear of the cliff well before it's really dark, and then we'll set up camp for the first half of the night. They won't expect us to be in that area at all."

"Yeah, that's what we thought last time," Snake muttered darkly, but he agreed with Spider's assessment of the situation. He dropped to the ground next to Alex.

"How you feeling, Cub?"

_Like shit,_ but Alex said he was fine anyway. He wasn't looking forward to rock climbing in the semi-darkness with aching muscles and a burning chest, but he didn't want to think about that now. Instead, he unrolled his sleeping bag. A few hours weren't long, but they would be enough to recharge his batteries.

"Cub you have to tell me if you feel faint again," Snake insisted gently, before Alex could hide inside his sleeping bag.

"I didn't faint," he snapped, turning the other way. He knew Snake was watching the back of his head, but he refused to continue the conversation. It was bad enough that Wolf thought him weak; he didn't need Snake's pity.

**XX*OO*XX*OO  
**  
Alex's sleep was not interrupted this time, and he was surprised that he actually felt a little revived by the time Snake nudged him awake. He'd taken some glucose and magnesium tablets, and they'd clearly worked their way through his system and unknotted some of his muscles.

"No sign of the hunters?" he asked Snake.

The soldier didn't answer, but looked Alex up and down carefully. "You realise we're partners now, Cub? Did you pick up anything about the four-man formation during the training week?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Yes. I cover your back and you cover mine. Fine."

He knew he was sounding petulant, but it grated on his nerves to be used as a spare tyre when only hours ago none of K Unit cared if he even existed.

"Good. Then let's go."

And they were off again. The sun was still hovering on the horizon and provided some warmth to an otherwise cold environment. They reached the bottom of the ridge an hour later, exactly as planned. Spider didn't even seem to pause to look for the best route up, but started climbing at once. Wolf stood still for a moment, then took a deep breath and followed.

Snake and Alex stayed at the bottom. In training, they had learnt that not all members of a squadron should be exposed at the same time, so half the unit would climb while the other half watched their backs, and then they'd switch.

Spider and Wolf made good progress, and Alex was forced to admire Wolf's ability to confront his fear and just get on with the task ahead. It was an impressive skill in itself. After about twenty minutes, the two soldiers were well over half way, and Alex was starting to feel more confident about the upcoming climb.

It was then that the whirring sound of a helicopter re-emerged from the clouds. Alex looked up in the direction of the sound and saw a black dot approaching fast. Within moments it was directly overhead. It hovered for some time, and it was as though the blood in Alex's veins had turned to ice. On the belly of the helicopter was a red circle … inside the circle was a silver scorpion.

Alex's breathing turned ragged. He didn't trust himself to speak. He watched in horror as the chopper headed straight to where Wolf and Spider were climbing up the ridge.

"I wonder what they want?" Snake mused out loud. "Do you think we're supposed to shoot some paint up to prove that we saw it? Never heard of that before …"

"No, no, no. We have to get out of here!" Alex moaned, not noticing the compliment of Snake asking for his opinion. "That's not command base, that's a Scorpia helicopter!"

"Don't be silly, Cub. Why would Scorpia be interested in a few trainee SAS guys?"

Alex said nothing. He waited for understanding to dawn on Snake's face, and then nodded guiltily. It only took a moment for Snake to look as scared as Alex felt. "Cub, this isn't funny. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm bloody sure!" Alex was almost hysterical. He suddenly thought of the three hunters chasing them, not bothering to hide and shooting high to attract attention. Where had the fourth hunter been? He felt sick. "I don't think those hunters were hunting us. I think they were trying to warn us. _Shit!_"

They both looked up at the ridge; Spider and Wolf had climbed onto a small ledge and were watching the hovering helicopter. Snake did not waste a moment. Cupping his hand to his mouth, he let out a shrill cry. It sounded birdlike, but was recognisable to Alex as a coded alarm signal.

He saw the two soldiers look down at them. Snake called again, and immediately Wolf and Spider started climbing downward. But it would take them at least twenty minutes if not more to reach the relative safety of the valley again!

Alex couldn't stop a moan escaping him when the helicopter suddenly turned around. It stayed where it was for only a split second before suddenly swooping down toward Alex and Snake with sickening speed.

Alex threw himself to the floor instinctively, feeling the rush of air as the chopper passed right over them.

"You need to stay on your feet!" Snake shouted from the crouch he had dropped into. He extended a hand and Alex grabbed it gratefully, letting the older man pull him to his feet. They had just broken into a run when the chopper came back for a second pass. Alex resisted falling to the floor again, instead imitating Snake and dropping into a low crouch while still moving.

It was a short-lived evasion tactic – men on wire ropes were descending at high speed from the helicopter, like spiders from a web. They were dressed in black combat gear and they were heavily armed. Within seconds, Alex and Spider were surrounded.

Alex froze, but Snake moved quickly and attacked the nearest man, using his paintball rifle as bludgeon. The sight spurred Alex into action. Throwing his rifle aside, he used a karate move to topple one of the men. He was about to back up his attack with a powerful kick, when he was caught in a bear grip from behind. The man's arms were so strong they crushed the air from his lungs. Alex gasped as black spots danced in his vision. He knew he had lost the fight, but before giving in, he allowed himself a quick glimpse up at the ridge. He was relieved to note that Spider and Wolf had somehow managed to get themselves out of sight – hopefully they would be able to stay hidden.

And then Alex's arms were roughly yanked behind his back, and he felt them being secured by a cable tie. Rough hands searched him and removed his hunting knife from its sheath on his ankle.

"Nice try, brat," the guard Alex had attacked sneered. "Although I did expect a little more from _you_," he added, gesturing toward Snake who had also been overpowered.

"What do you want?" Snake demanded.

The guards did not answer. Instead, they manhandled Alex and Snake to where the helicopter was now hovering only a few feet above the ground.

Two more Scorpia men as well as the pilot sat inside the chopper, bringing the total number of their captors to six. Alex grunted as he was almost literally thrown into the cabin. Strong arms dragged him in and pushed him to sit with his back against the far wall. Snake was forced down beside him.

"Where are the rest of your unit?" one of the men asked as the helicopter took off. The other Scorpia men scanned the ridge through the open door, but luckily Wolf and Spider had managed to remain out of sight.

"Where are they?" the man repeated, thumping the butt of his rifle squarely into Alex's thigh.

"Piss off," Alex hissed in pain. The man laughed unpleasantly. "You had two more soldiers left in your unit. Where are they?"

"They took another route," Snake interjected before the man could hit Alex again.

"What other route?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question."

The Scorpia man snorted. "That's how it's going to be, is it? We'll find them, with or without your help. It took us a bit longer to catch up with you than we'd originally hoped, but we don't give up." He smiled cruelly before continuing. "Can you believe we actually went after the wrong squadron for a while earlier on? Shame for them we didn't want to leave any witnesses. Not after we'd gunned down their officer, anyway. Took us hours to track down the rest of the bastards after that."

The man sniggered cruelly, and Alex wanted to scream and shout at the unfairness of it all.

Snake beat him to it. "What the hell do you want from us? You won't get away with this!"

But the man wasn't paying any attention to Snake. He was watching Alex, dark eyes glistening behind the eye slits of his mask. "Just some information. Maybe revenge …"

Alex closed his eyes and leant back against the thrumming wall of the chopper. He was, in the words of his favourite film, _Proper Fucked._

**To Be Continued ...**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm loving all your guesses at to what will happen next … Soon you'll find out! All the locations I've described are genuine. It's all places I've been and seen in the Brecon Beacons – if you can't access the illustrated version of the fic on the ARchive, then do reach for Google and treat yourself to a virtual tour of Wales. It's a beautiful (albeit mostly cold & wet) country!**

**Thanks for reading, reviewing & more importantly thanks for enjoying! **

**Chapter 5**

Alex expected to be in the helicopter for hours, but it turned out only to be a short flight before they started losing altitude. Alex's stomach gave a little flip as the chopper dropped vertically, landing with a sudden jolt. They had arrived.

The door slid open, and Alex could see that they were on a rocky airfield under a heavy covering of grey clouds. Snake got out first, clearly attempting to somewhat shield Alex with his own body. He was fully alert and Alex knew that the soldier was ready to take advantage of even the smallest lapse in the attention of the guards. It wasn't easy to balance with his wrists still tied behind his back, but Alex managed to climb out without falling.

As soon as he hit the tarmac, he felt the cold sting of salty drizzle. The air smelled of fish. Wherever they were, it was much colder than it had been in the Brecon Beacons. He could hear the crashing of waves in the background and understood they were near a coastline or maybe on an island. Judging from the short distance they had flown, it had to be somewhere near or in the Irish Sea.

Alex's skin prickled from a mixture of cold and fear. Behind him, the rotors of the chopper still whirred gently as the Scorpia men got out and for all in the world Alex wished he could jump back into the helicopter and fly to safety.

They were guided across the windy airfield, which is reality was a small patch of tarmac and one single landing strip. Other than a tiny control tower, no buildings or man-made structures were visible. Only a strange pattern of cliffs and troughs gave the grey landscape some contour, and from the elevated airfield, Alex could now see that they were definitely on a small island. In fact, it seemed to be more of a particularly large rock than a real island.

The drizzle had started to soak into Alex's clothes when his captors stopped by a heavy metal door at the foot of a cliff and led the way into what looked like an old wartime bunker. He was almost glad to get out of the wet and cold, even though it meant that escape was even further out of the reach than before.

The bunker consisted of long, winding corridors. Halogen lights lit up white-washed walls and concrete floors, casting broken shadows where they passed. Alex tried to keep track of where they were being led, but it was impossible – each corridor looked exactly like the last, and after many twists and turns through white corridors and metal doors, Alex had lost all sense of direction. He glanced at Snake to find the man's expression giving away a similar frustration.

All of the sudden, the Scorpia men stopped. "In there," the leader ordered, swiping a card through a reader to open yet another metal door.

The door opened to reveal a small metal cell. Alex was hit by the stench of bleach and wrinkled his nose as he looked around the room. The entire thing looked like it had been forged out of one single sheet of stainless steel that shimmered in the unpleasant halogen light. There were two metal bunks welded to the floor. In one corner stood a chemical toilet.

There was no point in resisting now, so Snake led the way into the cell. Alex followed suit. He was about to turn to face his captors when two guards grabbed him from behind and held him tightly. He saw the glint of a knife in the corner of his vision and tried to drop into an attack position, but then the cable tying his wrists suddenly released. The man had merely cut him free.

Alex felt weak with relief. He also felt ridiculous at his own jumpiness – he had been survived worse situations than this many times! Rubbing his sore wrists, Alex rolled back his shoulders. They felt very stiff, but he was glad to be free again.

As soon as the Scorpia men were gone, Snake swore loudly: "Shit! What the fuck is going on?" He balled his wrists angrily, glaring at the door that separated them from the relative freedom of outside the cell. "This has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Alex automatically answered back, as if he had anything to lose by telling Snake the truth now.

"Not only did you recognise a Scorpia helicopter, but let's face it - if Scorpia weren't expecting a child, they might have asked some questions by now. They were definitely expecting _you_."

Alex conceded the point. "I really don't know what they want. I can never get away from them. _I … My father …_ Never mind. I can't say anything about that. Scorpia, uhm …. they tried to kill me."

He lifted up his black roll neck and t-shirt and pointed at the scar near his heart. "Some of the tissues are still a bit weak. I didn't_ faint_."

Snake's lips seemed to twitch a little in amusement. "Why did they try to kill you? How old are you, Cub?"

Alex couldn't meet the soldier's gaze. "I'll be fifteen in one month."

"Shit," was Snake's simple horrified assessment.

Alex nodded sadly. For once, he felt as young as his years. His training exercises with K Unit had made him realise how lucky – and unskilled – he had been on his missions. He was out of his depth, and on this craggy island he felt a keen pang of fear. He was already so tired … He didn't stand a chance.

They were left alone in the metal cell for about half an hour before a plastic bottle with water and some crackers were shoved in through a grate in the door. .

"I guess it's good they don't want to starve us to death," Snake tried to lighten the atmosphere as Alex gulped down some of the water. "Better than army crackers, these are …"

"They won't kill us until they have what they want. It's like the tactical training exercise, only … not an exercise."

Alex's voice came out calm and measured, but inside he was panicking. Scorpia's ruthlessness terrified him. And his capture had been too well planned and executed for there to be an easy way out.

"And what do they want?"

"I don't know," Alex sighed. "I thought I was nothing more than an inconvenience to them by now."

XX*OO*XX*OO

They had been in the cell for several hours when the Scorpia men came back. They had passed the time discussing rumours of SAS missions executed in Iraq. Both Snake and Alex carefully avoided topics that might be classified, and as such their conversation felt superficial?

Alex was sitting on one of the cold metal bunks when the door opened. He immediately jumped to his feet, ready to fight back or run or …

A tall blond man with a jovial face entered the cell, flanked by two huge guards.

"Alex Rider," the man stated, looking Alex up and down with cold blue eyes, but ignoring Snake. He spoke with a distinct Australian drawl.

"What do you want?" Snake stepped in front of Alex. "You have attacked an officer of the British military!"

The Australian man smiled. "This has nothing to do with you," he said dismissively. "But I'm afraid young Rider has offended us greatly."

"_You_ put a bullet in the boy!" Snake answered back. "I'd say that makes up for a bit of offending!"

"Actually, it was lucky for us that you've survived until now," the Australian man addressed Alex directly. "We realised after the act that we still needed you. And fortunately, Winston Yu got sloppy in his old age and failed in _his_ plan to terminate you."

"Yeah, _lucky_. You get to do it instead, right?"

Alex could sense Snake urging him to shut up. But Alex hadn't yet finished what he wanted to say. "So you're going to torture me for some random information I probably don't have, then tell me your plan to rule the world, then try to kill me at which point I will hopefully magically reverse the situation and escape."

The Australian man laughed out loud. "You think you're cute, don't you? But you're too old for such games, Rider. I think you might have some information about an old friend of ours. And then there's the little matter of our investment in you. We spent a lot of time and money turning you into what you are. Some of my colleagues were willing to lose that investment, but I believe your attempted execution was a hasty decision. There are means and ways of making you reconsider your … _position_ within our organisation."

Alex felt his heartbeat accelerate. He clenched his fists. "I won't work for you," he ground out – his jaw was so tightly clenched that it almost hurt him to speak.

The Australian laughed again. "Not _willingly_, perhaps."

_"Never."_

The Australian's smile turned cold. "Never say never. You're young, Rider. You will learn to do as you're told, whether you like it or not. Now, let's talk about Yassen Gregorovich."

The name made Alex freeze. It was like he'd been punched in the gut, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He looked up to find the eyes of the Australian watching him very intently.

"The name means something to you, boy. Something more than just familiarity. Where did you first hear this name?"

"He worked for Herod Sayle, didn't he?" Alex answered. He tried to sound casual, but his voice came out a bit shakily. He wasn't sure how much he was _supposed_ to know – what did Scorpia know of his conversations with Julia Rothman? He took a step back without thinking, but instantly regretted the move. It made him look too defensive.

The Australian looked smug. "You're hiding something, Rider. What did your uncle tell you about Gregorovich?"

Alex's heartbeat accelerated. His _uncle? Ian? _Alex bit down the unbidden memories of his surrogate father – he hadn't thought of Ian in weeks, even months; it was too painful, too fresh. _"He never …"_

"Cut the crap, _Rider._ You and I both know what Gregorovich _and your father_ did for a living. Are you trying to tell me that Ian Rider never mentioned Gregorovich?"

Alex shook his head. He was sweaty. His hair was clinging to his forehead and he felt cornered.

"Never."

"Tell me, Rider. Were you close to your uncle?"

Alex looked up and again was caught in that intense gaze. It seemed to see right through him. His heart gave a painful thump. "I thought I was," he whispered. "But I don't know. Maybe. He never mentioned Yassen Gregorovich, I'm sure of it."

_Don't make me think of Ian, don't make me remember …. Please. _

The Australian looked thoughtful, then smiled brightly and seemed to accept Alex's response. "So you're saying that you first heard of Gregorovich in Sayle's compound?"

Alex nodded.

"But it was on a later mission that he told you to come looking for us, wasn't it?"

Alex nodded again, but did not know what to say. His throat still felt horribly tight and he was finding it hard to stay calm. He didn't want to think of that day. And again, he wasn't sure how much Scorpia knew and how much he was supposed to know. So he just said, "He said I should find Scorpia. That was pretty much the last thing he ever said. He died then."

A part of Alex wondered why the thought of Yassen's death made him feel a tinge of regret and sadness.

The Australian chuckled. "Yes. He died then. How much did he tell you about your father before he _died?_"

"He told me nothing. You know all that. I told your lot when I started … _training _with you. Julia Rothman told me everything about my father."

"And yet you continue to work for MI6?"

"At least they've never tried to murder me," Alex snapped back.

"But they killed your father!" the Australian immediately retaliated.

"So she said."

The lump in Alex's throat seemed to be growing. He tried to wipe the sweat from his face but his hands were so clammy that it only made him feel worse. He was getting into dangerous territory now. Julia had known about John Rider's treachery, but Alex was aware that Julia herself had not been completely open and truthful with the rest of Scorpia. He tried to change the subject. "Why all the questions about Yassen Gregorovich?"

The Australian's lips twitched in obvious amusement. "He was very close to your father, you know. Very close, indeed. There are some unanswered questions about their … allegiances. I'll leave you think about it for a bit. Maybe your little brain will come up with some useful memories for me. I'll be back in a few hours."

Without another word, the Australian left the room, leaving Alex feeling completely confused and very much out of his depth.

"Well at least they haven't hurt us," Snake's voice quipped from the back of the cell.

Snake was clearly trying to make light of the situation, but Alex could tell the other man was as apprehensive as he was. "Yeah," Alex muttered, stretching and wincing at the strain. "Not yet. Don't think I've ever felt this tired, and that's saying something."

"Cub, Scorpia is an international terrorist organisation. I'm not going to ask you anything about yourself because I know you can't tell me, but I'm very confused here. Did that man just say that Scorpia _trained_ you?"

Alex nodded wearily. "Yeah. I kinda fucked up in a major way. It feels like ages ago, but it's only been a few months. I thought …"

Alex was horrified to feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"I thought … I just … Everyone I had, my family, my friends, my life … one way or another, they'd all been taken away from me. And I was so angry, I didn't see what Scorpia was until it was too late."

He sat back and toyed with his fringe, waiting for the condemnation. But instead Snake actually looked understanding. "You're fourteen, Cub. You're not supposed to be able to make reasonable decisions yet."

For some reason, the prickling sensation in Alex's eyes intensified, and he had to swipe his sleeve over his face. Suddenly, he couldn't shake off the memories of Ian, the man who Alex had known so little about and who should have been a bank manager and not a spy and … _Enough._

"Hey, it's okay," Snake started to reassure him, but Alex's tears had already gone. He felt his resolve strengthen: they had to get out! He had no idea what Scorpia wanted him to remember, but something told him it wasn't as simple as his father's work as a double agent. John, Ian, Yassen … they were all dead. Why were Scorpia suddenly so interested in digging up the past?

Regardless, Alex _would not_ play their game.

-  
**To Be Continued ...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well here it is guys, the penultimate chapter of this story … The going is getting rough for Alex, but he'll think of something, right? ….. **_**Right? **_**Thanks for your continuing support and encouragement – I hope this does not disappoint!**

**Chapter 6**

The cell felt smaller with every passing hour. Alex tried to settle down, but every few minutes he found himself jumping up and pacing back and forth in the small area. His stomach was churning. He knew exactly what Scorpia was capable of, and he had no doubts that their interrogation techniques would be similar to the very techniques K Unit had been preparing to face for the final exercise of phase three. If there was any irony in that, Alex did not feel particularly amused by it.

Worst of all was the feeling that it was all his fault. _He_ had gone to Scorpia, he had found them and followed them and started this whole nightmare. Alex rubbed the bullet wound on his chest – it was itching, a constant reminder of the ruthlessness they were facing.

"Is it bothering you?" Snake suddenly asked, making Alex startle. The soldier hadn't moved much in the last few hours. He seemed to be conserving his energy for later.

"Not really. Not the pain, anyway. More the worry." Alex tried to smile, but he knew he looked scared.

Snake rubbed his eyes wearily. "Let's just hope someone at command base realises what's happened. They're bound to wonder where we are, especially when the hunters don't make contact." Snake's face paled at the thought of his murdered colleagues. "God, who has ever heard of an attack like this in the middle of an SAS training exercise? A part of me still wants to believe this is part of the task."

"It's not," Alex cut in shortly. He had let himself sink onto the bunk again and pushed his grimy hair out of his eyes, finally looking up to catch Snake's eyes before looking down again. "Trust me. It's not an exercise."

The cell continued feeling more and more restrictive, and its metal walls seemed to be getting shinier. Alex knew he was going to go mad, sitting here, trapped, cornered, and waiting for whatever Scorpia had planned. He wondered if he should tell them that John Rider had worked for MI6 … or maybe they already knew. The Australian had briefly mentioned John, but it had been a dismissive mention. John was clearly not the true focus of his interest. In all likelihood, it not longer mattered whether John Rider had worked for MI6 or Scopia. He had been dead for fourteen years already. Alex's whole life. Alone.

Alex sighed. He couldn't work it out. The Australian was obviously interested in something to do with his uncle and Yassen Gregorovich. Alex's breath hitched at the thought of those two men. Had Ian worked for Scorpia? Or, even less believably, had Yassen worked for MI6? Both ideas seemed as crazy as each other …

In the end he didn't have to think about it for too long, and when the door finally opened, Alex was almost grateful for the release from the claustrophobia of his thoughts. He jumped up and instinctively fell into a defensive crouch, ready to fight. He could see that Snake was similarly well prepared.

Three armed guards entered the room first, and then the Australian was back.

"You can relax, boys," the Australian joked, waving a hand toward Alex and Snake. "Have you had time to think?"

Alex said nothing.

"I think," Snake interrupted, "that you should let the boy go. I think you should order your men to stand down and let us walk out of here unharmed, and then maybe, just maybe, you'll survive this day."

The Australian chuckled as though appreciating the humour. "I'm not so sure that I'm the one who needs to worry about survival here. Rider, are you sure you have nothing?"

When Alex still remained silent, the Australian called out: "_Bring him in!_"

Two new guards entered the room. Between them they dragged a lifeless form, which they threw onto the cell floor. Alex's gut gave a painful twist. _Eagle._

In an instant, Snake was crouching by his partner's side, feeling for a pulse and clearly finding none. Eyes blazing, Snake stood to face the Australian. "Why the fuck did you kill him?"

The Australian shrugged. "Pulled him out of a river and asked him which way you'd gone. He told me in the end …"

You won't get away with this," Snake vowed, taking a step forward. He looked terrifying at that moment, and Alex was glad they were on the same side.

"Back off," the Australian snapped. His voice had taken on a hard tone. "So now we are all on the same page. Rider, _you_ are responsible for this man's death. And just so you know, my best man is out there right now picking up the rest of your unit."

Alex swallowed heavily. He realised he hadn't moved since Eagle's corpse had been dragged into the cell. He felt frozen, breathless. He looked down at Eagle's bloodied face and wanted to be sick. He couldn't meet the Australian's cold eyes.

"Rider? You still with me?"

Alex nodded even though he wasn't sure it was the truth. His ears were buzzing, his chest was hurting, Eagle was dead, tortured, _murdered. _

"Good boy. Now once again, I want you to think very hard about Ian Rider. I want you to tell me everything you know about his work, especially after your father's death."

"But I don't know anything!" Alex blurted out, hating the desperate whinge in his voice. "I never even knew my father!"

"But you knew Ian. He raised you as his own. He _loved_ you, Rider. And you're trying to tell me you don't know _anything_ of his work? Nothing at all?"

Alex scowled. "Nothing. I thought he was a bank manager," he said. A part of him wished that wasn't the truth.

In a move so swift that Alex could not evade it, the Australian had grabbed his hair and was twisting it painfully. Alex gasped. He heard a scuffle and a grunt as Snake was physically prevented from coming to his help.

The Australian dragged Alex to Eagle's body, and with surprising strength he forced Alex onto his knees. "You've already killed one man, Rider. For how many more do you want to be responsible?"

The Australian let go of Alex with a sharp yank and Alex felt like the bone had been wrenched from his spine. He collapsed forward, almost touching Eagle's body. He registered the sound of the Scorpia men leaving and waited for the metal door to close before wiping the tears from his eyes.

He stayed where he was for what felt like hours but could only have been a few minutes, staring down at Eagle's dead face. The soldier had obviously been beaten. His face was distorted by shattered bone and torn skin … painted in blood.

_"You didn't kill him."_

Alex knew Snake was talking to him, but it didn't mean anything. Only earlier that same day he'd hated himself for ruining Eagle's career. Now he hated himself for ending the man's life.

"I'd tell them," Alex whispered, noting with concern that he felt like laughing a little. "If I knew anything. They're going to take me apart to get at knowledge I don't even have."

He jumped as a hand settled on his shoulder, then scrambled to his feet and moved away from Snake. He didn't like being touched.

Tuning his mind back to Scorpia, Alex desperately tried to remember something, _anything_ his uncle might have said or done that could relate to his work as a spy or to Yassen Gregorovich, but there was nothing. Ian had kept his secrets, and as far as Alex knew the two men had never even met until—

Grief overtook Alex and he let himself sink to the floor.

Ian was gone.

_How could Ian be gone? _Why was it hitting him so hard all of a sudden? Alex looked up to see Snake watching him with some concern.

"I'm sorry," Alex mumbled. "I think I'm really messed up. But all this talk of my father and uncle … It's getting to me. I'm not normally this weak."

"You're far from weak, Cub. D'you want to talk about it?"

"No," Alex said automatically.

But to his surprise he _did_ want to talk about it. And when Alex started talking, he could hardly stop. He told Snake all about his childhood, growing up under his uncle Ian's care, the amazing holidays to tropical locations, lessons, languages, activities, anything he'd wanted.

"He never treated me like anything less than his own son."

"Sounds like he was an amazing man," Snake agreed.

Alex gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah. Turns out he was working for MI6. I _think_. God, I don't even know for sure. All I know is what Blunt told m—"

"Alan Blunt?" Snake interrupted.

Alex chewed at his lip for a split second before nodding. What did it matter now?

"Yeah. He told me my uncle was a spy and always had been. You know, I thought he was a boring bank manager or something. You don't think about inconsistencies when you're a kid. Well, now I look back and I can see that there was obviously something _wrong _with my uncle's lifestyle. But he was executed before he ever told me anything about himself. Blunt said that Yassen Gregorovich killed my uncle. Yassen is … _was_ a hitman for Scorpia, that's about the only thing I'm sure of. It's all very confusing."

Alex spoke faster and faster, not wanting to give Snake the opportunity to speak, in case the interruption broke his flow. "Yassen Gregorovich was my father's best friend, you see. But that's where it all gets even more confusing. My father worked for MI6, like Ian, but was deep undercover in Scorpia, working with Yassen. I think. But I get the feeling Yassen and my father … Well, I think they were _genuinely_ fond of each other. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but ..."

Alex trailed off as he choked up for a moment, before regaining his composure. "My _godfather_ finally betrayed my father and killed him … and killed my mum too. You know, this guy turns up out of nowhere and everyone knows him and knows that he's my godfather and I've never even _heard_ of him before then. But he … he killed them. He tried to kill me too. That didn't even happen to Harry bloody Potter – at least _his_ godfather was one of the good guys."

He finally stopped, surprised at how many words had come out of his mouth in such a short time. Then more thoughtfully he added: "So basically, no one ever tells me anything because I'm just a kid or something, and I really don't get why Scorpia are suddenly so interested in my uncle or where Yassen Gregorovich comes into it."

Snake's face was a picture of amazement. "I'm a heck of a lot more confused about where _you_ come into it!"

Alex smiled wryly and was relieved to note he felt a lot more calm again. "I wish I knew the answer to that. I seem to get dragged into this kind of situation all the time. I wouldn't be half as scared if I didn't know Scorpia were behind this."

Because with Scorpia, things were personal. He had been responsible for the death of some of their board members and had betrayed them in too many ways. He scratched at the wound on his chest. "They seem to think Ian knew something about Yassen Gregorovich. Maybe something my father told him? Or something more personal? Maybe Ian knew Yassen?"

"Cub, you're not going to guess these answers."

_"But they'll kill you if I don't work it out!"_

Snake grimaced, but shook his head. "They're going to kill me anyway. Cub, I'm a soldier, I can cope with the idea of death. I'm more concerned with what they're going to do to you. This isn't your world, Cub." Snake glanced at Eagle's corpse as he spoke, and Alex could tell he was scared. He admired Snake at that moment for being one of the only adults in his life who didn't want to push the weight of the world onto his shoulders.

But Snake was wrong about one thing. This _was_ Alex's world. The last months had made that abundantly clear.

"So you know Alan Blunt?" he said to divert the conversation.

"Only as a figure in the background. He doesn't have much contact with the military. Did you know he's the nephew of Anthony Blunt?"

The name sounded familiar to Alex, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it.

Snake continued. "Anthony Blunt was a Soviet spy. The rumours say that Alan Blunt never got over the discovery of his uncle's betrayal. It's why he's as high up in the service as he is. He's a paranoid bastard."

And suddenly Alex remembered Anthony Blunt. The man had been one of the Cambridge Five. Alex had once listened to a radio documentary about it. At the time, he'd been fascinated by the concept of this man who had managed to fool his country so well that even the Soviets at times suspected a triple cross. Alex imagined young Alan Blunt having to live with the public humiliation of his uncle's treason … No wonder the man was so uptight.

Alex was just about to ask Snake if he knew anything else about Alan Blunt, when the door opened. Once again the Australian entered the small cell with an entourage of armed guards.

"Remembered anything yet?" he asked straight away, looking down at Eagle's dead body with a sneer. He nodded at a guard, who lifted his rifle and pointed it at Snake. "You have three seconds to start talking, Rider. Three. Two. O—"

Alex didn't have time to think. It was like something had short-circuited in his brain and he leapt, cat-like, onto the guard, knocking him over sideways only a split second before he pulled the trigger.

The crack of the gun was deafening and Alex could hear the bullet ricocheting dangerously around the room. He smashed his hand into the guard's neck, hitting a pressure point on the nerve and knocking him out cold. Swivelling round, Alex then kicked out at a guard who had run to his colleague's assistance.

A sharp blow to the thigh unsettled him for a moment, but Alex quickly found his footing and went into full offensive mode, fighting dynamically and forwards, using every technique Scorpia had ever taught him to disable his opponent. The guard's unarmed combat skills were nothing like Alex's, and Alex was able to knock him out without sustaining any further injury to himself.

Panting heavily and acutely aware of the tender bruise on his thigh, Alex faced the Australian.

The blond man looked calm, but his eyes glinted with something Alex could only describe as _hunger._ Demonstrating that same lightening speed as earlier on, the Australian attacked. His fist smashed into the side of Alex's head before Alex even saw it coming.

Falling into a defensive crouch, Alex managed to parry the next few blows, before suddenly throwing himself forward with the intention of tackling the Australian.

It was like hitting a brick wall.

To his shame, Alex as good as bounced off the man, falling squarely onto his back. The air was stolen from his lungs, but Alex nevertheless managed to roll out of the way of a vicious stamp that would have crushed his ribs. He struggled to get to his feet in time to defend himself. All thoughts off an offensive attack were gone, and Alex remembered the day he had so desperately fought Nile in Venice.

Despite the intensive training and additional experience he had had since that day, the same feeling of helplessness wormed its way through him. The Australian wasn't even sweating and looked for all in the world like he was just playing with Alex … while Alex was fighting for his life.

Gritting his teeth, Alex forced himself to try another attack move, aiming for the Australian's kneecap with a low swipe. The Australian avoided the blow easily, but retaliated with an identical move. His kick hit the side of Alex's knee. The pain was agonising, and Alex found himself on the floor groaning and retching against rising nausea.

Alex tried to roll out of the way of the next blow, but he was too slow. The Australian's boot smashed into his shoulder, sending waves of agony crashing through his body. Alex curled up and resigned himself to another blow, but instead the Australian's weight settled on his stomach and Alex's wrists were grasped with iron-like strength. He cried out as something crunched in his shoulder as his wrists were pulled to each side of his head, forcing him to uncurl and to lie exposed under his opponent.

Breathing heavily and grimacing from the pain, Alex looked up with defiance. If he was about to die, then it wouldn't be as a coward. The Australian did not look like he was even the slightest out of breath. His expression, however, was even hungrier than before and he observed Alex like a butcher considering a prime peace of meat.

Alex flexed against the man's grip and found it unyielding. _"Get off,"_ he panted angrily.

The Australian chuckled softly. "Not bad," he acknowledged, nodding towards the two guards that were still unconscious on the metal floor. "We have trained you well, haven't we?"

Alex glared.

"You are clearly willing to risk your life to save your colleague here. So why not tell me what I want to know?"

"Because," Alex ground out, flexing his wrists again. "I don't know anything. I _really_ don't know anything. That bastard said _nothing_ before he died."

The Australian's weight shifted a little. "Did you see the bodies?"

_"What?"_

"Yassen Gregorovich's body? Ian Rider's body? Did you see either of them?"

Alex's heart felt like it had just turned to ice. "Yassen died _on _me. He bled all over me …"

Alex couldn't breathe … the implication of the Australian's words were too great. The Australian realised the impact of his words and smiled almost playfully. "So you are not sure that he is dead?"

"He has to be …"

"So you keep saying. What about your uncle?"

"We buried him … "

"Don't mess me around, _Alex_. Did you _see_ the body?"

_"No. I did not see the body!"_

Alex and the Australian stared at each other for a moment; then the Australian abruptly let go of Alex's wrists and got up. Alex instantly pushed himself to his feet and hobbled over to stand by Snake who had watched the whole exchange with confusion.

"Is he alive?" Alex asked.

"Protocol dictates that I ask the questions here," the Australian answered with a cruel sneer.

Alex cursed out loud and turned away from his enemy, wincing at the sharp pain in his leg. Behind him, he heard the sound of something heavy being dragged from the cell and when he turned round, Eagle's corpse was gone. Alex was alone with Snake once more.

He couldn't fight the hope bubbling up inside him. _"Ian might be alive!"_

"Come on, Cub. He's playing you. It's an emotional interrogation technique. Don't fall for it."

"But what if there's just the smallest chance? I have to find him! Maybe he's here?"

Alex knew he was sounding ridiculous, but he couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be if Ian was alive. The last ten horrible months would be erased. Life could go back to normal …

"Cub. Listen to me. Cub? _Alex?_"

Alex let himself be guided to the bunk, wincing whenever he put any weight on his injured leg. "Alex, you're hurt. Let me have a look."

"You shouldn't be calling me Alex," was all Alex could think of saying.

Snake smiled tiredly. "You didn't respond to Cub. Anyway, I think we're past codenames here; they already know who you are. In fact, they know you a damn sight better than I do!"

Before Alex could resist, Snake had gently taken hold of his arm and started manipulating it carefully, raising it up until Alex cried out.

"You've torn the muscle. Nothing broken, nothing dislocated. I would tell you to rest it for a few weeks but that seems like futile advice here. Now let me check your leg; you took a nasty blow there."

Alex frowned and pulled his arm flush against himself. "Leg's fine," he said. He really didn't want Snake to touch him any more than necessary. Forcing his face to stay neutral, Alex wiggled his feet. "See, nothing wrong. Just bruised."

He tried to jerk back as Snake ignored his resistance and grabbed his leg, pulling it up and sideways in a practised move. "Stop th-_OW!_"

"I can't say for sure without a scan, but I'd say you've damaged a collateral ligament."

He made it sound like it was something Alex had done on _purpose. _

"It's _fine._ I can hardly feel it," Alex lied. Snake clearly did not believe him, but left it at that.

"Get some sleep. You took some good knocks to the head. You might have a touch of concussion. I'll keep a look out from down here," Snake said, settling down on the other metal bunk.

Alex wanted to refuse, but a wave of dizzy tiredness told him that Snake was right, and before he knew what he was doing, he had lowered his head down onto the cold metal bunk. Within seconds, the darkness claim him.

**To Be Continued …**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Alex had no idea how long he'd been asleep. He woke up in a panic, pain thudding through his shoulder. Snake was shaking him.

_"Wake up, Cub."_

Alex blinked and saw that the door to their cell had just been opened again. He was instantly alert and sat up straight. "What's going on?"

A masked guard stepped into view. It was the leader of the team from the helicopter.

"What the fuck do you want?" Alex growled, clenching his fists and swinging his feet off the bunk. He was unable to stop the surprised cry of pain that escaped him when his right leg took his weight. He felt pathetic.

"Cub," Snake warned in a soft voice.

But Snake needn't have worried. The guard did not rise to Alex's threatening tone. Instead, he stepped back and silently observed as his colleagues manhandled two struggling figures into the cell.

It was Wolf and Spider. They both looked furious, but unharmed.

"Snake!" Wolf exclaimed, immediately rushing to greet his colleague. "What the hell is going on here?"

He ignored Alex completely.

" _They killed Eagle._," Snake blurted out, glancing towards the red stain in the middle of the cell. Then he shook himself and rushed to grip his colleague's shoulder. "Man, it's good to see you. We feared the worst."

Wolf took the news silently at first, but then his eyes narrowed and he nodded towards the guards. "What do these guys want? After they pulled you into their helicopter, they came back and ended up picking us up only ten miles from command base. Who are they?"

"It's Scorpia. They …" Snake glanced at Alex, as though considering how much to tell Wolf. He ended up saying nothing more as Wolf interrupted: "Scorpia, as in terrorists and militia for hire _Scorpia?_"

"There is only one Scorpia," the familiar voice of the Australian came from the open doorway. "What a touching reunion, though I note there doesn't seem to be much love lost for _you,_" he addressed Alex directly.

"Yeah well, not everyone loves me like you do," Alex quipped, wishing he hadn't when the Australian's gaze hardened.

"We're back to the cute stuff are we, Rider? Does that mean you're _scared?_"

The Australian advanced on Alex, while armed guards raised their rifles and covered the room. Alex took an involuntary step back, keeping his eyes on his enemy. He winced as his injured leg almost gave way underneath him.

"Leave the boy alone," Snake demanded, but the Australian didn't seem to hear him. He had eyes only for Alex.

"Surely Alex Rider, son of the great John Rider, isn't actually afraid?"

Alex felt the cold metal bunk behind the back of his legs. He reacted on instinct, unable to bear the thought of being trapped against the bunk with this dangerous man closing in on him. Ignoring the sharp pain in his right leg, Alex leapt onto the Australian. He grabbed one of the man's ears and twisted hard.

The Australian's blue eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment he seemed too shocked to even fight back. Alex felt skin tearing as the ear started to come away in his hand, but then a fist caught the side of his head and he fell back, biting his lip and tasting blood. A hand twisted his hair and he was dragged to his knees. He screamed as his injured knee was forced to bend on the metal surface and fought wildly against the searing grip in his hair.

"You little bastard," the Australian swore even as blood streamed down the side of his head. It was the first time he didn't look in control. His face was a picture of fury.

Still gripping Alex by the hair, the Australian strode to the doorway, forcing Alex to crawl with him. The pain in his knee was almost unbearable, and Alex wailed out loud with every agonising movement.

He was thrown down in front of polished black boots. A rifle pointed down at him, aiming straight at his head.

_"Shoot the little bitch,"_ the Australian ordered.

His voice sounded calm again, but Alex recognised his tone as cold fury rather than control. The man was serious.

Snake roared with rage somewhere in the cell, and Alex heard Wolf's voice shouting something or other about letting him go. But their protests were futile. The guard's eyes sparkled eagerly behind the mask, and Alex watched his gloved hand tighten around the trigger.

He was going to die. He knew it, and a part of him even welcomed it. But then his instincts kicked in and he rolled away, moaning at the pain that seemed to consume him. He grabbed the barrel of the rifle and somehow twisted it out of the guard's grip. His knee hurt so much he couldn't get up, but that didn't matter. From the floor, he aimed the rifle at the Australian, and without even thinking about it, Alex pulled the trigger.

A resounding crack echoed through the cell, and then all was silent.

The Australian did not go down. He did not even move.

Red paint decorated the front of his black jacket, and he smiled like a cat that had licked cream.

"You pleased with yourself?" the Australian asked quietly. "Because I am. I am _very_ pleased, Rider. I'd been led to believe you had some issues when it came to shooting at living targets, but now I understand that it's just a question of motivation."

The Australian's smile turned cold. "Now restrain him, or I really _will_ have him shot," he snapped, "like this."

Before Alex could make a move, one of the other guards lifted his rifle and a single shot echoed through the cell. Alex screamed as Spider went down. He would have attacked the Australian again to finish the job on his ear had Snake not stepped forward to pull him to his feet and hold him back.

"I don't know anything!" Alex screamed until his voice was raw. "I don't! I don't!"

His vision had gone blurry and his ears were buzzing again. Wolf's voice was shouting again, but the words made no sense to him. Someone was gripping his arms and prying him out of Snake's grip. He struggled, but his shoulder flared with agony and he cried out loudly in both pain and frustration. He was rewarded with a backhanded smack across the face by one of the guards.

"_I know you don't know anything_, you stupid boy," the Australian hissed, touching a hand to his half-detached ear. _"Time to go."_

Despite K Unit's best attempts to stop the guards from taking Alex, he was manhandled through the door and through a series of whitewashed corridors, all lit by the same pale halogen strips.

Alex had no idea where they were taking him, just that this was not good. Suddenly he was shoved into a much brighter room. He tried to twist to look around, but was held back by cruel hands. He was pushed against a wall and his head was slammed back over and over until he stopped moving, dizzy and nauseous. Even then, Alex still glared at his captors as vehemently as he could manage.

"Finished your little tantrum?" the Australian growled, not even pretending to be calm any more.

Alex glowered. This was it. He was sure of it. They were going to kill him. Slowly, painfully …

"Good," the Australian continued. "Then we can get to business at last. Look at me, Alex Rider."

Reluctantly, Alex raised his eyes to meet the cold gaze of the Australian. The blood on the man's face was already drying. It didn't look as though the ear was as damaged as Alex had hoped. It was still mostly attached, anyway.

"Listen carefully. I am going to implant this little device inside your abdomen." The Australian nodded toward one of the guards who held up what looked like a small barrel with a huge needle on the end. "It will enable Scorpia to track your location any time and any where in the world. Attempting to remove it will cause a toxin to be released into your body and you will die very quickly. You might want to let your precious MI6 know about that."

Alex was confused. "Why don't you just kill me now?"

The Australian laughed coldly. "Because you have a lot of work to do. By all means, take some time off if you need a _holiday_, but after that you will solve this puzzle for us. Seeing as you're such a good little patriot, you will find out exactly what Ian Rider did for MI6 after your father died. And if Yassen Gregorovich is alive, as I believe him to be, then you will find him for us. You will find out why Ian Rider died and then you will bring Gregorovich back to us."

"Surely you should know why Ian died? Sayle had him executed for snooping around!"

A strange expression crossed the Australian's face. "That's the thing. Neither Sayle nor Scorpia ordered that execution …"

Alex heart gave a strange jolt at the thought of it. What the fuck was going on? A part of him yearned to know … But then he looked the Australian straight in the eye. "I won't do it. I will _never_ work for you, no matter what you threaten me with."

The Australian observed him carefully. "I don't need to threaten you at all. I know you too well, Rider. You're too much like your father and once he was given a mystery, nothing could stop him from solving it. A great man, indeed. The niggling doubts about Ian's involvement with Gregorovich, as well as the confusion surrounding his death – these things will eat away at you from the inside. Don't pretend you haven't already been thinking about it. You will go looking for Ian's past and for Gregorovich – maybe if we are lucky, Gregorovich will even come looking for you – and as soon as you are near him," the Australian smiled toward the implant, _"we will know."_

"What do you mean?"

The Australian smiled coldly. "Gregorovich has a matching device. All of our agents have one, even your father in his day … _and Ian._ Unfortunately the technology of Gregorovich's time did not permit any type of tracking. We cannot locate him … but when the two devices are close to each other, yours will emit a very special signal."

The Australian had lifted Alex's black shirt as he spoke, but Alex hardly noticed it. _Ian? His uncle? Scorpia?_. Suddenly Alex flinched as a cold finger ran over the exposed skin of his belly. He let out a shaky breath and forced himself not to give the Australian the pleasure of a reaction.

"Clever, don't you think?" the Australian murmured appreciatively.

And with those words, he nodded at the men holding Alex and their grip tightened excruciatingly. Alex screamed as the thick needle approached. He bucked against his captors and writhed with all his might, but he knew it was a futile resistance. Sure enough, Alex felt the needle pierce deep through the muscles of his abdomen. Then he heard a resounding click and the needle was withdrawn again.

"You bastard," Alex snarled.

The pain in his stomach was nothing compared to the gut-wrenching understanding that Scorpia had tagged him like a dog and that he would never be able to hide from them again. And if the toxic ability of the implant was true, and Alex had no reason to believe that it wasn't, then Alex's life was as good as forfeited anyway.

The Australian seemed to be reading his mind. "If you don't try to remove it, it won't poison you. Scorpia has no interest in your death …"

_… for now._

Alex could tell those words were on the tip of his enemy's tongue. But they remained unspoken.

"What if you're lying about Yassen Gregorovich?" _And about Ian. Please be lying about Ian …_

"I'm not."

Alex growled. Somehow, he already knew it was the truth. All of it.

"What about the others? My unit?" he wanted to know, thinking of Wolf and Snake stuck in the metal cell with the body of their murdered colleague.

"As a gesture of goodwill, I will drop off the survivors by parachute. They will live. You understand that I do not have to let them go at all. But since we are going to be working together …" he trailed off with a cold smile.

"I fucking hate you," Alex hissed.

But at that moment, Alex hated himself more than anything else in the world. For he knew that the Australian was right. However much he wanted to lie to himself and swear not to give in to Scorpia, he already couldn't stand the thought of not seeing Yassen again and never finding out the truth behind the relationship between Yassen and his father. He wanted to know what the hell was going on with his uncle … how Ian had really died, and _why._ In a way, the Australian had simply triggered questions that Alex had been asking himself for the last ten months. He had been lied to by too many people, and he wanted _– needed –_ to hear Yassen's version of events.

Yes, the Australian was right. Alex Rider had a lot of work to do …

**FINIS**

**== I know you probably all hate me right now, but this wraps up the story as I first visualised it. Thanks for your incredible support during the 10 days of posting, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed the ride! The good news is that Alex and the surviving members of K Unit, as well as several other well known characters, will return in part two of this adventure: **_**You can run but you can't hide!**_** I need a writing break for a few weeks, but as soon as part 2 is ready, it will be posted in a similar rapid fire fashion over 7 – 10 days ==**

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